An outdoor ceremony in Sanford on Dec. 6, 2025, marked the grand opening of the rebuilt Mayfair Country Club clubhouse, a city-led project that officials and longtime golfers said preserves a historic course and creates new space for community events.

An unidentified speaker opened the program pointing to "these beautiful oak trees" planted in the late 1800s and called the clubhouse a "reborn building that will live in the minds, hearts, and spirits of our community." Chris Smith, introduced in the program as project planner for the City of Sanford, served as master of ceremonies and thanked the design and construction teams, including CPH, ZHA and Wharton Smith.

Mayor Woodruff described the project as the culmination of decades of effort to return the course to city control. "In 2014, a consultant suggested we should sell the golf course for development," he said, crediting past elected leaders and staff for refusing to sell and for restoring the property. The mayor said the city27s purchases in the early 20th century and later stewardship made the course a "large part" of Sanford27s history.

At the heart of the ceremony was a personal moment: Willie, introduced for the ribbon-cutting, said he had been a caddy here as a 15-year-old during segregation and told the crowd he would "cut the ribbon to the building I couldn't go in over 50 years ago." The remark framed the opening as both a civic restoration and a personal milestone.

Speakers recounted the course27s early history: Henry Sanford purchased the original 200-acre property in 1870, and the city later acquired additional acreage in 1922; Donald Ross was commissioned to design the 18-hole layout, four holes of which opened in 1922 and the rest by 1924. Organizers also noted high-profile exhibition matches in the 1920s and pro events in the 1950s that featured national champions.

Officials described the new clubhouse27s features: architecture that echoes earlier verandas, rentable indoor and outdoor venues, a dining pavilion with roughly 120 seats and a large commercial kitchen described in the program as "three-quarters of $1,000,000." Chris Smith and commissioners highlighted added amenities such as a new crosswalk on Country Club Road intended to improve safety for golfers and visitors.

Several elected officials and project partners were named during remarks. Commissioner Claudia Thomas, who was introduced by the MC before taking the podium, praised staff and volunteers and the golf course27s return as a community asset. Multiple speakers emphasized that, despite past proposals to sell the property, the city retained the course for public use.

The ceremony concluded with organizers directing attendees toward the clubhouse27s double-frontage for the ribbon-cutting and a formal acknowledgement by the project team that the building is substantially complete. Attendees then moved outdoors for the official ribbon-cutting.

The opening leaves the facility available for rentals, events and continued golf operations; officials said the city and management partners will continue to operate and program the site for residents and visitors.